


In These Bones

by orphan_account



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Brief Bad Friend Scott, Brief homophobia, Derek Hale & Stiles Stilinski are the Same Age, Derek-Centric (For Now), Full Shift Werewolves, Guilt, Healing, M/M, Pack Feels, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, brief bullying, jackson's a dick, pack fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-20
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 01:44:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7200512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek was fifteen when he fled his home with his sister, leaving only ashes behind. He was seventeen when he returned to Beacon Hills, ready to finish his last year of high school as Laura tried to pick up the pieces of their old pack. Neither of them expected to find a new family in Beacon Hills, not when they'd lost everything.</p><p>''The Sheriff smiled pleasantly when he spotted them and approached Laura to greet her and she smiled back, but Derek's attention was captured by the boy with him. It was the same boy, the same one that had waved at him in the woods, and his eyes were focused on Derek with interest. He was all long limbs and pale skin, dotted with moles. If he hadn't been so freaked out, Derek's gaze might have been trained on his pretty mouth or his bright, intelligent eyes.''</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. From Murky Waters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hales return to Beacon Hills.

Derek watched the old road to Beacon Hills roll passed his window as he rested his head against the vibrating glass. When they crossed the border and passed the sign that told them they'd arrived back in their old home town, something happened in his chest and he whined, just a little. Laura glanced over at him and reached over to squeeze his leg.

''We'll be okay Der', you'll see.''

Laura had been back weeks before to see their new home, to get a feel for her territory before they moved back into it.

Derek's heart hurt a little when he thought about what he was leaving behind in New York. They'd only spent just under two years there, and they'd never  _truly_ settled, living on delicate pack agreements and struggling through the sometimes overwhelming atmosphere of the city. Derek had liked his high school though, had had friends, some of which had even been werewolves, like him. He'd known it would never be  _home_ , but that didn't mean he wasn't leaving a small part of himself behind. 

When Laura had told him that she wanted to return to their old home, his first instinct had been to kick up a fuss, to growl and snarl and refuse to return to the nightmare they'd left behind. But he'd come to see that Laura  _neede_ _d_ this. She was an alpha, and she'd barely managed to live on borrowed land, her wolf and every instinct in her body demanding that she return to her territory, that she have pack space and the freedom they'd once enjoyed. So when Derek's junior year had ended, they'd packed up everything they'd collected in their time in New York, put it into the back of the Camaro or sent it off in a truck, and driven back to Beacon Hills.

The back roads took them to where they need to go, and Derek felt much happier to not pass through the middle of the town. He knew he'd have to face it sooner or later, but he wasn't ready for the onslaught of memories or the people who would recognise his face, would recognise his past. 

They drove for a few minutes along a barely-worn road, small enough to be considered a path, through the trees until they emerged into a small clearing where their new house was. It was similar to the old Hale house in that it was hidden away in the woods, far enough away from neighbours and prying eyes that they could be themselves, but that's where the similarities ended. Derek was grateful. 

They climbed out of the car, grabbing a box each and headed up towards the house. It smelled mostly of dust and dirt, slightly of the Estate Agent and evidence of Laura's first visit, but that was it. It was as fresh as could be hoped for, and Derek knew that after a few days the place would smell of nothing but the two of them, and it would feel a little more like home. Laura unlocked the front door, grinning at him. The smell of fresh paint hit him, but it wasn't overwhelming. They padded through to the kitchen, Derek looking around and soaking up every detail. There were shadows on the walls where pictures were once hung and the floors were made of a dark stained wood. There were warm colours wherever he looked, and huge, wide windows that felt like escape routes. 

In the kitchen Laura dropped her box on the counter and ripped it open with a clawed finger, tugging back the tape and pulling out mugs and a few plates, dish cloths and forks and other stuff they'd need right away. Derek's box contained things like toilet roll and pillow cases, whatever they'd need for tonight, besides the sheets in a bag on the back seat. There was furniture already in the house, that they'd had shipped from their apartment or just bought new, but the place was barren, for now. 

''Do we have water yet?'' Derek asked, watching Laura wipe the plates that had been wrapped in newspaper.

Laura glanced up at him, and he thought he saw a small smile. She smelled content. ''Sure.''

''Electricity?'' 

''Yep.''

''Wifi?''

''In the living room.'' 

''Right. Okay.'' He backed out of the room, his throat a little thick. 

In the living room there were two couches positioned around a small cabinet where the TV would go. There were tall bookshelves on one of the walls that he knew they'd quickly fill with the boxes stacked in the middle of the room, brought already along with the furniture. He turned his phone on to connect it to the wifi box that sat on the floor in the corner. He found a single 'good luck' text from one of his old friends, and an email from one of the pack members that had been nice to him, and that was it. None of his other friends had bothered, and he wasn't surprised. He huffed, slightly sad, and dropped his phone on the floor as he walked away, the loud smack ringing in his ears. 

He wasn't like he used to be, when they'd first left Beacon Hills and he'd been devastated. He'd put Laura through hell, losing control constantly, tearing and smashing things, shouting and snarling, lashing out because he didn't know how to handle the grief and the guilt. He'd gotten a lot better, with a little bit of counselling from the New York pack's in-the-know therapist, and there wasn't a day when he didn't regret what he'd put Laura through. She'd had it just as bad as him, if not worse. She felt a similar guilt- Derek had brought Kate into their lives, but they'd both been down at the lake dicking around when they'd smelt smoke- as well as becoming the alpha of a dead pack. Derek didn't know how she managed to get up in the morning, let alone get them to New York, find somewhere to live and get Derek into school while keeping food on the table. But she had managed, and she was probably the only reason that Derek had survived this long after the fire.

He headed for the front door, pulled it wide and snapped the latch, jogging down the steps and over to the Camaro. He opened the door- Laura had left it unlocked as there was no one around to worry about- and snatched up the bag of bed sheets. He ascended the porch steps again and pulled the front door closed, then ambled up the stairs. He knew the house had three bedrooms, he'd asked Laura why they'd needed a third but she'd just shrugged, and he knew she liked the one that faced the front of the house (as the alpha, she felt better being able to see anyone coming up the road). He stuck his head around the door of her room and looked around curiously. He could see why she liked it so much; the window was huge and the room was full of natural light; her wide oak desk was against the middle of the wall so that she could see the window and door in her peripheral vision, and there were two doors on the other wall, one that led to her bathroom and one that, he assumed, led to the closet. 

He closed her door and followed the hall to the end. The room there was much smaller, and he guessed it was the small guest room. There was a twin bed and a night stand, and a small bookshelf on the other side of the room next to the round window. He retreated to the last room that was his. He looked around appreciatively, closing the dark wood door behind him. It was large, though not as big as Laura's, and had a large window facing out to the forest, with two large panels that could be pushed right open. There were dark, heavy curtains that contrasted the cream carpet, Laura's doing, he guessed, as she knew he struggled to sleep when it wasn't completely dark, and a king sized bed taking up the furthest corner. There were night stands on either side of the bed and two tall bookshelves in the second corner. There was an open door on the left wall that was his closet, and one on the opposite that was his bathroom, and a tall vanity stood against the wall where the main door was. He let out a long sigh, and moved towards the bed, ripping the bag in his hands open as he went.

As he sorted the sheets from bag into piles of what would go in each room, he wrinkled his nose. They hadn't been allowed to bring their beds with them, so Laura had bought new ones, as well as new mattresses. He was glad that he wasn't sleeping on a second hand mattress, but the plastic, synthetic smell made his nose itch. He picked up the pile of Laura's sheets and dropped it in her room, as well as the comforter and pillows for the guest room. He put the sheets on his own bed, knowing the  _new_ smell would be saturated with his own in a few days. Not that he'd ever admit to it, but he might even steal some of Laura's shirts and leave them in his bed for a day when he wasn't there, so his bed would smell like _pack_ , too. 

When his sheets were on and neat, he dropped the empty bag near the door and headed to check out the bathroom. It was a nice size, made up of a toilet, sink, and a bath with a shower in it. He looked at his slightly dishevelled reflection in the mirror over the sink for a minute before using to toilet.  

Standing back in his room, he wasn't sure what to do with himself. He decided to throw the large windows open so the smell of the woods would sink into the room slightly, and then stripped, leaving his dirty clothes in his sheets so they'd smell a little better by the time he came back to sleep. He shifted into his wolf, sneezing against the wolf's superior senses, that weren't used to the smell of the new house yet. He nosed open the door he'd left ajar and padded down the hall, awkwardly manoeuvring down the stairs and into the kitchen where Laura was humming to herself while scribbling on a piece of paper. 

She looked up when his claws started clacking on the tiles. ''Hey, kid. I'm going to scope out the store, pick up the essentials. We can go on a big shop tomorrow or whenever, and we'll need to buy all the bits we need for the house at some point too.'' She walked backwards and opened the back door, still looking at the list in her hand. ''I'll cook when you get back, if I can be bothered. I might just end up ordering pizza, we'll see.'' 

Derek nuzzled her leg briefly before stepping outside and trotting off into the forest to explore their new territory. There hadn't been many places in New York to shift safely, and they'd driven to the woods for the full moons, so to have all this open space literally right outside his house was making his wolf rumble happily. He scouted a large loop around the house, mapping the immediate territory and getting a feel for the terrain. Laura had done really well for them; there was only one real road within a mile and it was incredible quiet. The nearest house was two miles away, and there was nothing but woods for at least four miles north of the house.

Roughly three miles from the house, somewhere north east, Derek smelled something strange. It was sweet, almost  _too_ sweet, like sugary cookies and flowers and syrup, but it was almost earthy too, like the forest smelled after it rained. He ambled a little closer, the smell enticing him, but not making him incautious. When he got close enough to see a house through the trees, he stopped. The house  _looked_ normal, it was quite similar to he and Laura's, and he could hear movement from in the house. When someone opened the back door, the smell intensified and Derek fell back a few steps. The boy looked to be about the same age as Derek, and was tall and lanky. He held a phone to his ear and was chatting away loudly. Derek almost felt bad about eavesdropping, but he was mesmerised by the oddly beautiful boy, and couldn't turn away.

 _''Yeah Scott, that's what_ I _said!''_

_''No, buddy, she won't like that, trust me.''_

_''Bro, c'mon, when have I ever been wrong?''_

_''Okay, that was like_ one _time!''_

_''So, maybe like four times, but still!''_

After a few minutes the conversation came to an end and the boy stowed the phone in his pocket, looking out at the woods. His eyes fell on Derek, and Derek's heart almost stopped. Derek's mind raced, trying to think of how to get out of the situation with minimal damage. He did not, however, imagine that the boy would lift an arm and wave, a wide grin taking to his features. Derek panicked, and ran. 

He ran at a dead sprint back to the house, not stopping the whole way. He'd only been gone for half an hour, so he knew Laura wouldn't be home yet. He shifted at the back door, which she'd thankfully left unlocked, and hurried inside, scrambling up the stairs and burying himself under the sheets in his room, kicking his clothes out onto the floor and gripping his head between his forearms until his heart stopped pounding. 

He couldn't believe he'd been so  _stupid_. They'd arrived literally an hour ago and he'd already endangered them. There weren't any native wolves in California, and if the boy mentioned Derek to anyone... Derek was most unsettled by the fact that the boy hadn't been shocked, or scared, or called for help or _anything._ He'd  _waved._ Either the kid was crazy, or he  _knew._

Derek shuddered at the idea. The last humans he'd met that knew about werewolves- He refused to let himself think about _her_. Instead he climbed out of his bed and pottered into the bathroom, turning on the water just as he heard the Camaro roll up to the front of the house. Laura had probably emptied the car before she'd left but he hadn't thought to grab anything, so he just stood under the hot water, closed his eyes, and rested his forehead against the cool tile, willing himself to calm down. He debated with himself as to whether he should tell Laura about the boy. On the one hand, keeping secrets had  _never_ done them any good, but on the other hand Laura wanted to settle here _so much,_ and he couldn't be the one to ruin everything, not again. He decided not to tell her, but to be much more careful next time, and stay  _far_ away from that house and the boy.  

He stepped out of the shower and realised he didn't have a towel. He crouched and shifted into his wolf, shaking vigorously and then shifting back, having gotten rid of most of the water on his body. He padded through into his room, pulling his dirty clothes back on because he had nothing else upstairs. 

He wandered downstairs, hearing Laura sniffling and getting worried. When he hit the bottom step, the smell of onions hit him and he understood. In the kitchen he teared up himself, sliding into one of the seats at the table in the middle of the room. 

As Laura used the back of a knife to slide the chopped onions into a pan, she spoke. ''So, how are the woods? I had a brief look, but I haven't had chance to run yet.''

Derek watched her back as she moved back to the chopping boards, ripping open a package of tomatoes and starting on chopping those. He saw all of the other ingredients on the side and stood up to help, picking up the other chopping board from the pile of miscellaneous kitchen stuff and pulling out another knife, reaching for the garlic. ''It was fine. Better than fine, I guess. I liked it.''

She looked up at him and smiled, slightly watery and definitely relieved. He was struck with another little jab of guilt and turns back to the methodical rhythm of chopping. 

''Good. We should run it together, get really get to know the territory before the full moon next week.'' 

He hummed in agreement, leaning across her to tip the garlic into the pan. 

They didn't talk much after that, working in tandem to cook their meal. He managed the pasta as Laura stirred the bolognese and they dished up together. Derek sat and stared at his food for a while once they'd sat down. It had been their Mom's go-to meal and neither of them had bothered much to make it since the fire. When he caught Laura watching him, he took a deep breath and attacked the food. 

Laura waved him off when he offered to wash the dishes so he headed through to the pile of bags and boxes in the entryway. He couldn't bring himself to take all of it just yet, so he snatcheed his bag of essentials and the hoodie he'd had in the car and dragged himself up the stairs. He dumped the bag in the corner of the room, tugged his clothes off and headed straight for his bed. He wriggled under the sheets, closed his eyes and fell asleep almost immediately.

 

\----

 

He awoke with a start and blinked through the pitch darkness. The coolness of the room told him it was the middle of the night, and he could hear rain slamming down on the roof and the ground outside. Once he was awake, being alone in the room unsettled him, so he sighed and got up, heading for Laura's room. He wasn't wearing any clothes, and he didn't have the energy to rifle through his bag, so he picked up yesterdays boxers, putting them on and pulling his oversized hoodie across his bare torso- for comfort more than warmth.

He opened his door and crept out into the hallway silently. Laura's door was wide open, as if she knew he wouldn't be able to sleep alone, not yet. Standing in the doorway, he could tell she was asleep, but after a minute she stirred and turned a bleary gaze over to him, squinting through the dark.

She rolled over, ''Come on then,'' She murmurs sleepily. 

He climbed into her bed, under the warm sheets and rested his head on her thick pillows. 

'Night bro.'' She mumbled, throwing an arm over his torso and burying her face in the pillows, her breathing already slowing down again. 

He stared at the ceiling for a few minutes, guilt washing at him, and then closed his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep. 

 

\----

 

When the morning finally came and the rain finally stopped, Derek woke alone. He could hear Laura humming a baseline downstairs, so he wasn't concerned. He hauled himself up and trudged back to his room, pulling open his duffel and rummaging around until he came up with clean clothes. He changed quickly, not bothering to shower first. 

He followed the scent of coffee through the lower floor and accepted a mug from Laura with an appreciative grunt. He slumped into a chair, nurturing the coffee and taking large gulps until he started to feel really  _awake._ He knew it was a placebo thing, that werewolves weren't at all affected by caffeine, but it still made him  _feel_ more awake. 

Over her own cup of coffee, Laura suggested a plan for the day. ''We need to go shopping if we want to eat today. And not just a few bits either, we need to get  _everything._ All the shit we'll need. We can just stick to food and essentials today, do the house crap later. If I head out in about an hour, do you want to come?''

He looked at her over the rim of his cup that rested in front of where his face was pressed into the table. She was offering him an out, a chance to avoid civilisation for a little longer, but instead he nodded. ''Sure, I'll come with.'' He couldn't avoid it forever. It was better that he get used to being back  _now_ , rather than later when he'd have to act like a normal human being without freaking out left right and centre. 

So he found himself an hour and a half later, trailing after Laura who was sweeping cans and bottles and bags into the cart she was pushing. He'd contribute now and again, seeking something out or adding something he wanted when it didn't seem like too big of a thing. They did well, finding almost everything they'd need in the relatively small store. Cereal and cans of whatever and pasta and soup and frozen pizzas and lots of food that wouldn't take much effort to prepare if they didn't fancy something complicated. They hadn't headed to the huge store in the middle of town, because they'd have  _definitely_ been recognised there, and they weren't quite ready for that. 

Derek was managing fine, being out in public. No one had recognised them and they'd been shot a few smiles and 'good morning's. That all changed however, just as they were heading to pay. The super-sweet scent he'd smelled in the forest hit him again and he froze on the spot. Laura noticed his heart rate increasing and turned to ask him what was wrong, but as she did her eyes fell on the two people walking passed them. 

Derek remembered, all too well, the night of the fire when they'd been found by the Sheriff and the Deputies at the still-flaming wreckage of their house. It had been one of the Deputies that had put blankets around their shoulders as they sat in shock in the Sheriff's station, waiting for _something_ , waiting to be dealt with, waiting for someone to tell them what to do now. Deputy Stilinski, Derek remembered. The man that stood near them was wearing the Sheriff's badge, but Derek knew that he was that same Deputy, and Laura's expression suggested that she knew it too. 

The Sheriff smiled pleasantly when he spotted them, and approached Laura to greet her, but Derek's attention was captured by the boy withhim. It was the same boy, the same one that had waved at him in the woods, and his eyes were focused on Derek with interest. He was all long limbs and pale skin, dotted with moles. If he hadn't been so freaked out, Derek's gaze might have been trained on his pretty mouth or his bright, intelligent eyes. Derek tried not to breathe too heavily, to avoid the almost intoxicating scent, especially now that he was so close. 

''Laura and Derek Hale! It's been years, how are you two doing?'' The Sheriff shook Laura's hand and she smiled, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. 

''We're doing well, thank you. We've actually just bought a house here in Beacon Hills.'' 

''That's wonderful. I'm guessing Derek's doing his senior year at the High School? My son here, Stiles, is also about to start his last year.''

Derek cocked his head at the boy, who was smirking at him now.  _Stiles._ Derek imagined sharing a school with this boy every day for a year, and his heart almost leapt into his throat. When Stiles lifted his hand to wave at Derek,  _the same fucking wave_ as in the forest, Derek felt like he might pass out. Stiles had an amused expression, but it didn't  _seem_ like one of recognition. 

Derek kicked himself. There was no way this kid could link him to that wolf in the forest, even  _if_ he knew about werewolves, which was highly unlikely. He made the mistake of taking a deep breath through his mouth, and could almost  _taste_ the fucking sweetness in the air. 

''Laura.'' He almost choked, taking a step away from Stiles and The Sheriff and towards the door of the store. 

She stopped what she was saying to the Sheriff about his apparent promotion and turned to him, frowning. She took one look at him and nodded to the door. ''Go. I'll meet you at home.'' 

Without a word to any of them, Derek turned on the spot and walked out, as quickly as possible without actually running. As he went, he heard Laura explaining his odd behaviour away. ''Sorry about that, he didn't mean to be rude. He's just adjusting to being back here.'' 

He gritted his teeth as the guilt took him over again, and headed for the cover of trees, where he could run home at full speed and hide himself away. 

He ghosted into the house when he got back and stood in the doorway for a minute, not liking to enter the empty rooms. In the living room, Laura must've been sprawled on the couch before they'd left because her scent was concentrated there. He snatched the blanket up from the back of the couch and draped it across his shoulders, surrounded by the scent of  _pack._  

He climbed the stairs towards his room, making half-hearted plans for the paperback on his bedside table. He stood at the end of the hallway, looking between his bedroom and Laura's. Eventually he gave in and headed into her room, flopping across her sheets. He let himself feel the grief for a while, his wolf giving in to the misery and the absence in his heart. Wolves weren't made to be alone, not like this. 

 

\----

 

When Laura returned twenty minutes later, she stayed downstairs for a while, putting away the groceries and pottering about, doing whatever. Eventually she came up the stairs and headed straight for her room, where Derek still lay, face down on her bed. 

''Hey Der','' She said softly, padding over and sitting cross-legged on the bed next to him, scratching her fingers through his hair. 

He mumbled in acknowledgement, not turning or looking at her, not wanting to talk about it, not wanting to admit to his mistake. 

''I know it was hard, seeing Stilinski again, but we're going to have to get used to it. I'm sorry.'' 

Derek sighed, listening to the sadness in her voice, the pain on his behalf. He couldn't bare it. He slowly lifted himself up, twisting his torso until he sat, mirroring her position, head hung. ''It wasn't about him.'' 

''Then what was it?'' She asked, reaching out and placing her hand over his, where it was twisted into the fabric of her sheets. 

''It was-'' He cut off and growled slightly, mostly in frustration with himself. ''It was his son.'' 

''Stiles? What about him?''

Derek let out and huff and pulled his hand back from hers.

''I made a mistake. When I went for a run yesterday, I smelled... Something. I got close to this house, too close. A boy came out onto the back porch and he saw me, as a wolf. He  _waved_ at me, and I ran. I fucked up, Laura, I'm so sorry.'' 

He put his head in his hands, expecting her to be mad with him, to be angry that he made such a stupid mistake.

Instead, she sighed. Sounding tired, more than angry. It was almost worse. ''Der', don't worry. He probably though you were a big dog or something, there's no way he could _know_. And when he saw you today, to him, it was the first time. You made a mistake, but it's okay, we'll be fine.'' 

He looked up, biting his lip.

She smiled sadly and shuffled forwards, wrapping her arms around him and dropping her head on his shoulder. He rested his cheek on her head, taking long breaths to calm himself down. After a few minutes they pulled apart. 

''What I'm curious about, is why you got so close. You know not to, so what made you? You said you smelled something?''

Derek dropped his gaze again. ''I don't know. It was stupid, a stupid mistake. I smelled- I don't know what it was; _sweet,_ I guess. When I saw the Sheriff's kid today, I smelled it again.'' 

Laura'd always had the best poker face and that was still true now, but he could've sworn he smelled a slight splash of surprise in her scent.

''What?'' He asked, leaning forward slightly. 

Laura shook her head, and the scent vanished. ''Nothing, it's nothing. Just... Be careful, yeah?''

Derek frowned at her, not believing her, but chose to ignore it, for now. ''Of course. I'm sorry.'' 

She smiled at him again and climbed off the bed, traipsing back downstairs. Derek stared at her back, wondering what it was that she knew, that he didn't. 

He fell asleep that night, dreaming forgotten dreams about sweet scents and pale skin. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and feedback are hugely appreciated :)


	2. From Beaten Paths

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek puts down some roots.

It was a week before Derek saw Stiles again, and he'd even convinced himself that he'd forgotten about him. 

''You could get a job, Der'?'' Laura suggested one afternoon when he was lying on the couch, staring blankly at the tattered paperback in his hand. He knew she was worried about him sitting around and stewing. He also knows it wasn't not  _just_ that; he knew that money was tight. Laura's job translating ancient books for clients payed well, but there was only so many client and so many books. Sure, they had all of the insurance and inheritance money sitting in accounts, but neither of them wanted to touch it. It felt wrong, spending money that came from their pack's death. 

''Okay, I'll look for something.'' He said, pulling himself upright and dropping the book on the arm of the couch. He made a mental list of the places he could potentially work at. Nothing with too much foot traffic, or dealing with angry customers. He hoisted himself out of the chair and into the small downstairs bathroom, leaving the door ajar as he stripped out of his clothes and fell into his fur. The backdoor was closed but not locked, and with a bit of awkwardness he was able to tug the door handle down with his paw and get outside. 

He slunk outside, footsteps quiet on the cool earth and fur ruffled by the warm breeze. He padded off into the forest, feeling heavy and a familiar kind of empty. He couldn't find any reason or motivation to do anything but loiter, so he did just that, letting the noises and scents of the forest lead him this way and that, letting the wolf take over and letting his rational mind take a backseat to the easy black and white of the animal. Slumped under a tall tree that was casting shade across a patch of long grass, Derek just _sat_. The moment might have been peaceful if he wasn't gripped by an odd lack of any feeling at all, that he'd become quite acquainted with. The grass was soft against his belly and he rested his head on his paws, listening to the breeze blow back and forth and the sounds of the slowly running river nearby. For a few minutes he thought he was dreaming the scent, as his eyes were closed and he drifted somewhere that wasn't entirely conscious. 

When he opened his eyes and blinked sleepily, he realised that the scent had intensified and was in fact, not a figment of his imagination. He knew he wasn't close to  _the house_ , because even in his wild state he still knew to stay away, though some deep part of himself didn't like the prospect of not going back. 

He lay still, trying to identify where the scent was coming from, where  _the boy_ must be. Still letting the wolf control him, Derek barely reacted when the wolf's keen nose placed the boy about sixty feet east, downwind. The wolf cocked its head, wondering why the boy would be so far from his den, at least a mile and a half. He kept track as the boy walked on, towards him at a slow, ambling pace. A minute later and Derek realised that if he didn't move, Stiles would end up right on top of him, but the wolf wanted to let the boy come, or at least didn't care enough to move. Derek pulled the wolf back, taking a little more control. He lifted himself up onto four legs and tried to creep north-east, out of Stiles' path. 

He was too late though, as he heard ''Hey Wolfie.'' call out from behind him. He froze on the spot, his tail slumping between his legs as he realised he'd let himself be caught,  _again._ He turned slowly, making sure his eyes weren't glowing when his face became visible. 

Stiles was smiling, one hand slightly outstretched as if offering to a dog. He looked just like Derek remembered, pale and beautiful and vibrant. He seemed almost disapointed when Derek just gazed at him silently. ''Hey,'' he repeated, ''I've seen you before, haven't I? Outside my house the other day?'' 

Derek kept staring at him, and Stiles shook his head, knowing he couldn't expect an answer. 

''You must've come a long way; there haven't been any wolves in California for like sixty years, although I think they're returning. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me, wouldn't want any hunters driving you off again, would we?''

Derek tensed, his heart almost leaping out of his chest. Stiles' statement was probably innocent, but his words meant so much more to Derek. 

''Anyway, I'm going to go before I get eaten.'' Stiles turned away and kept walking, his sweet scent dissipating as he got further away, skirting the edge of the river and then leaping over at a more narrow part of the channel. 

Derek stood on the spot for at least another minute, not remembering how to make his body work. When he finally regained control of his limbs he ambled in the direction of home, not knowing how to react. Almost halfway home, he remembered what Stiles head said, that wolves were returning to California. While this was true in Derek and Laura's case, Derek was suddenly wracked with worry that Stiles might have seen  _other_ wolves in the forest. He and Laura would've known if there were any wild wolves in the area, which meant the only wolves around would be werewolves. It wasn't common for werewolves to manage the full shift, so whoever was around was either powerful, or part of an old pack. 

He was already almost home by the time he realise he was running. He crawled back in through the open door and ran for the stairs, not noticing that Laura wasn't home. He shifted back and tugged his clothes on, more quickly that he ever had before. He pulled his shoes on and was back out the door within two minutes, striding north to pick up on the trail that Stiles had left. About ten minutes later at a fast pace, Derek met the small river than cut through the northern most chunk of their territory. He hopped easily over the wide channel and turned slightly more east, to where Stiles had crossed. It didn't take him long to find the sweet scent that gave away Stiles' trail, although the scent was weaker in his human nose. 

He followed the trail carefully, listening to make sure he wouldn't stumble right onto Stiles. He cursed, weaving violently west for the third time, and then came to a stop. Below him, in a small valley between two long outcroppings, Stiles followed the natural path. Derek retreated several paces, into the trees where he could see, but not be seen. 

Stiles seemed perfectly fine, continuing on whatever journey he was taking, undisturbed. Derek couldn't  _smell_ anything, but after all that had happened to him, he'd learned to be more wary and careful.

A few hundred yards later, Derek started cursing himself again. This was  _not_ what he should be doing with his time, he should be... He had no idea. He had no idea what else he should be doing, and so he was here, being a stalker. If Stiles saw him, well they'd met before so he couldn't pull off the lost excuse, or the running excuse, because he wasn't dressed for it. He turned, and took exactly one step away before he hesitated. He should go home, but he didn't  _want_ to. In fact, he wanted to jog over and grab Stiles' hand, which freaked him out  _a lot._

''God, Derek,'' He whispered to himself, ''Now isn't the time for your sexuality crisis.''

Somewhere nearby, a loud rustling sound had Stiles whipping around to stare in his direction. He didn't know what had made the sound, but as he dropped into a crouch, he wished whatever it was would just come and eat him. Stiles' gaze dropped after a few more seconds as he turned back to his meandering path, and Derek let out an audible sigh.

When the loud rustling came again, this time sending a cascade of starlings out of the canopy, Derek started to worry. The noise was closer this time and Stiles stopped, staring out into the woods and looking like he was considering turning around.

''Do it.'' Derek whispered. ''Turn around and head home,  _please.''_

After a few silent second however, Stiles went back to walking even further from home. 

Derek headed slightly further out into the trees, keeping a close eye and ear out for whatever was making the noise. Maybe whatever it was was just a deer or something. Despite his lack of trust in his instincts, his gut was telling him to be cautious and he listened to it. A quiet growl reverberated across the forest, and Derek almost shifted, terrified. He was alone, he had to protect a human, and he'd never been the best fighter. 

He stepped closer towards Stiles, debating whether to shift. When he heard footfalls moving swiftly passed him forwards Stiles, he started running, chasing whatever it was and hoping to get to Stiles before  _it_ did. 

He got closer and closer, Stiles coming into sight but the  _thing_ remaining elusive. He was twenty feet away when Stiles spotted him, looking rather pale. 

''Woah. Hey, Derek right? I guess that was you making that noise, huh? What're you doing out here?'' 

Derek marched right up to him, ignoring the slight shake in his voice and turning to face whatever was coming, position Stiles behind him. ''I was just- Out for a walk. I didn't make that noise, I think there's something out here. Are you okay?''

He glanced over his shoulder to see Stiles nod, frowning. 

''There was a wolf out here earlier, maybe it's just that?''

Derek took a deep breath, trying to figure out what was coming and praying that his presence would scare it off. He couldn't smell much though, as the sweetness rolling off of Stiles clogged his nose and brain. 

''Sure. Maybe.'' When nothing came for an agonising minute, he exhaled and turned to Stiles. ''I think we should head back. It's not safe out here.''

''I've never had any problems.'' Stiles said, but there was no force behind it. He followed as Derek took a step towards home. 

When they crossed back over the river, Derek realised he couldn't give away that he knew where Stiles lived, or Stiles really  _would_ think Derek was stalking him. 

''My house is that way.'' Derek gestured to the south. ''I take it you're not much further away?''

Stiles nodded, walking next to him now that he'd slowed slightly- Being less worried now that they were getting further away from whatever the  _thing_ had been.

''Yeah, it's that way.'' He pointed east. ''I can go the rest of the way alone.'' 

Derek examined his face briefly. He looked anxious and slightly wound up, not really afraid. Derek just hoped this might keep him out of the woods, at least while Derek discussed the potential dangerous visitor with Laura. ''Okay,'' He agreed, intending to follow Stiles at a distance to be sure he got home safe, ''I'll see you... Whenever.''

Stiles gave him a small smirk. ''Bye, Derek Hale.''

Stiles set off in the direction of his home, casting a couple of glances over his shoulder that Derek could feel burning into his back. 

When he was sure he was far enough away, Derek doubled back. He huffed at Stiles' slow pace, but they weren't too far from Stiles' home now so he didn't have to follow him for long. When he watched Stiles trek across his own back garden and slip into his house through the back door, he relaxed significantly more. 

He turned again and headed home, running and watching his back, half expecting to be tackled to the ground at any second. 

He made it back to the house in one piece and almost dove through the back door, closing it again behind him and locking it, and then leaning against it, breathing heavily. 

Derek was sat against the back door when Laura got back a short while later, his head hidden in his knees. 

''Der'? I'm back!'' Laura called through the house. She came straight through into the kitchen, depositing a few shopping bags on the counter before she noticed him. ''Derek?'' She hurried over, dropping to her knees in front of him. ''What happened?! Are you okay?''

He lifted his head and blinked at her.

''You smell like Stilinski's son- What happened?''

He knew there was no anger or accusation in her tone, but he still drew back a tiny bit. ''I'm not sure. I don't know if I was just being paranoid, or- I was shifted in the woods, and then-'' He stared up at her. To explain why he'd followed Stiles, he'd have to admit to being seen.  _Again._

''He saw me. I tried to hide, but... He was rambling on, as much to himself as to me, said Wolves were returning to California. He dissapeared and I was coming back, when I realised that what he'd said... I'm not sure, he'd made it sound like he'd  _seen_ something, other than me. I came back, got dressed and headed out to find him and make sure he didn't get mauled or something. I found him on the other side of the river, I stayed out of sight. There was  _something_ out there; there was all this loud rustling and then a growl. I went to him, said I was just out walking and that we shouldn't stay out there if something was around. We split up back on this side of the river but I followed him to make sure he got home safe.''

He dropped his head again when he finished, waiting to be chastised for fucking up again. 

Evidently, Laura's concern was greater than her worry of being discovered. ''Shit. You're really not sure what is was?'' She sat back on her legs.

''No.'' He said, muffled in the denim of his dark jeans. 

''That's not good. You did the right thing, making sure he wasn't out there alone. I think I should head out, see if I can smell anything.''

He looked up at her, frowning. ''Is that a good idea? I should come with you.'' 

She shook her head, patting his knee. ''It's okay Der', I can handle myself. Worst case, it's an omega that I have to put down. I'm an alpha, whatever it is, it won't be an issue.'' 

Derek nodded, not really convinced. ''Will you take your phone? Call me if anything goes wrong?'' 

''I'll go as a wolf, so no. I want to be able to fight if I have to, and I'll be stronger on four legs. Don't worry, it'll be fine.'' 

Derek huffed, not at all happy with letting his remaining family go out alone to investigate the nasties in the forest. But he trusted Laura's judgement. He stood up and offered a hand to her, which she accepted and pulled herself upright. 

''Be quick. Be safe.'' He told her and she stood on her tip toes to kiss his forehead. 

''You bet.'' 

He got out of the way so she could unlock the backdoor, and stood in the doorway, watching as her form rippled into that of a wolf, and the grey wolf dissapeared into the trees. 

After a few minutes he closed the door, dropping his forehead onto it for a moment before turning into the empty, darkening house. He lumbered up the stairs and into his room, staring at his room for a moment before going into his bathroom. His room was much better now, the passing weeks having brought unpacking and furnishing and made the space less barren, more homely. He ditched his clothes in the laundry basket just outside the door and turned on the water. When it was warm he stepped under the spray, giving up after a minute and sliding down the wall to sit cross legged in the bath, the water washing over his body, filling his ears with a constant white noise that set him more at ease. 

He sat under the torrent for a long time, until his skin pruned and then long after that. He let the water wash the day away, soothing his muscles and allowing him to drift for a while. Eventually though, his mind came back around to Stiles. There was something about him that was  _alluring_ , though Derek couldn't quite put his finger on it. If he'd been talking to Laura, she would've laughed at him. 'You like who you like' she would've said. Sexuality had never been a big deal for him growing up; for wolves it didn't really matter because if you turn into a clawed, fanged monster, it's not your place to dictate who anyone fucks. He'd never really thought about it until high school, when he was deep into puberty and everything was chaotic. He'd been dragged into Kate Argent's bullshit before he could figure it all out and when he'd escaped to New York, he was too afraid to think about that stuff again.

Beacon Hills was a new start, and he felt all that stuff coming back. In the time he'd spent at Beacon Hills High before the fire, he'd finally become aware of sexuality as a thing, and everyone tossed around 'gay' and 'straight' and all other kinds of labels that terrified Derek, deep down. In New York all of the teenagers he'd come into contact with had been so sure of themselves, while Derek had coasted on the assumption that he fitted in with the default. He'd never been brave enough to explore that part of himself, or really any part of his identity after the fire, afraid of opening up a can of worms or feeling selfish, thinking about himself when his whole family were dead because of him _wanting_. 

Now though, now it seemed like all of that was changing.

He wanted to shake himself, he was seventeen, halfway to eighteen, and he was acting like a thirteen year old. What did it matter? He didn't have the balls to get into a relationship, not after  _her_ , so what did it matter? He tried to force himself away from those thoughts, but instead found himself imagining mapping Stiles' skin, memorising every mole and mark, dusting his fingers across the pale planes of his body. When he realised he was half-hard, he was almost startled. Sure, it happened sometimes, but after  _her_ it was so rarely because of attraction to another person. 

He dragged himself out of the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist and left the steamy bathroom, rubbing his wrinkled fingers together. He stepped into his closet just to grab a pair of boxers, not bothering to turn on the light. He tossed his towel over the door and crawled under his sheets, wrapping his comforter around him and curling into the corner of his bed against the wall.

He drifted in and out of sleep for an hour or so, before he heard the backdoor close quietly and sat up abruptly, head spinning a little as he lurched up. ''Laura?'' He asked sleepily.

She walked up the stairs and stood in his doorway.

''Everything okay?'' He asked, blinking through the dark.

She traipsed across the room and sat on the edge of the bed. ''I picked up your trail quite easily and Stilinski's kid's too, followed it up to those outcroppings. I scouted around that area for ages, found evidence that  _something_ was out there. Broken branches and such. There was a scent, but it was really faint and I couldn't tell what it was. I don't know if there's a threat, but we should be careful, at least until we figure out what's out there.''

''Okay.'' He said quietly, lacking a real response. 

''Sleep well.'' She patted his leg through the sheets and stood up, stretching her arms above her head as she left the room and crossed the hall into her own.

He fell back to sleep pretty quickly after that, sleeping fitfully but dreamlessly for the next five hours.

 

\----

 

''Here, is this okay?'' Derek handed four twenty dollar bills to Laura who accepted them and then studied his face carefully.

''I- You don't have to do this. This is, like two thirds of your paycheck.''

Derek shrugged, stepping out of her reach so she couldn't try to stuff the money back into his hands. The money had come from his first paycheck, the new bi-weekly phenomenon in his life. When he'd seen the advert for a 10-hour week assistant at the local garage, he knew it was perfect. He'd loved taking cars apart and putting them back together before the fire, his uncle Peter teaching him all about the pieces and how they fit together. Six bucks an hour might have been a bit stingy, but he didn't really need it for anything and the work kept him busy. He was completely happy to fix people's cars and then have a hundred and twenty dollars tucked into his hand every other week. His boss, Will, was a decent guy, short-spoken and a little intimidating, but nice enough. He only had two weeks of the summer left before he had to go back to school, but ten hours a week was manageable on top of school work, so he wasn't worried about having to give up the work once the term started.  

''It's fine. I'm just gonna stick the rest in the bank, I don't have anything to save for. I know you need it and I want you to have it.''

She frowned at him for a moment, before moving forward and pulling him into a hug. ''Thank you Der', this means a lot to me.''

He just shrugged again, slightly bashful. 

She smiled at him, reached up to ruffle his hair, and went back to stirring the sauce she was currently standing over. 

Derek went back to blankly staring at the book in his hands. 

''So, school soon, huh?'' She said after a minute, not looking at him. Her voice was casual, but he knew she was slightly worried about him. 

He hummed in acknowledgement, dropping the book and instead taking up scribbling on the back of the empty envelope next to him. 

''That'll be interesting, keep you occupied. You might even see some of your old friends.''

Derek frowned. ''I hope not.'' He really didn't, the idea of seeing all those people who knew what had happened to him, who might expect him to be someone he wasn't... He didn't want to see them.

''Well, I'm sure you'll make new friends in any case.'' He could  _hear_ her frown.

''Laura, stop worrying about me. I did it in New York, didn't I? Besides, I don't really care about making friends. I just want to get my grades so I can get into a good college.''

She turned and leant against the counter, and he watched her struggle between concerned and proud. ''I just- I worry about you. I don't want you to be alone. I know we don't know any other wolves, but...'' She trailed off, knowing exactly how hard it was to maintain friendships while hiding their true selves. ''What about Stilinski's son? He seemed nice enough, and he knows who you are. Might even be grateful, after you saved him out in the woods.''

He rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. ''Stiles? Yeah right, probably thinks I'm some freak who make noises in the woods to scare him or some shit. I didn't  _save_ him, we don't even know if there's anything to be worried about.''

Laura's poker face held up as well as usual, but she turned back to her cooking a little  _too_ quickly.

''Laur'? What aren't you telling me?''

She turned back with a sigh. ''It's... It's been two weeks and I'd hoped that we weren't going to see anything else, that we weren't going to have trouble but-''

''But what?'' He pressed when she paused.

''Yesterday, I did a quick loop, and I smelt something, way up north-west. I couldn't follow the trail, but it was definitely werewolf.''

Derek groaned, dropping his head onto the table with a painful  _clunk._ ''Why didn't you tell me  _yesterday_? I was out in the woods this morning!''

She slumped a little, inwards on herself. ''I know. I'm sorry. It's just, I didn't want you to worry. I've reached out to an old friend, do you remember Alan Deaton?'' 

Derek nodded. He vaguely remembered his mother's emissary from before the fire.

''He's retired now, but I reached out to him, and I'm going to meet him on Wednesday. I'm not too worried, I can take care of an omega. Please though, be careful when you're out there, okay?''

He grunted his agreement, keeping his forehead pressed against the cool wood and wishing that for once, they could just be left in peace. 

 

\----

 

The next two weeks passed smoothly. Laura's meeting with Deaton didn't turn up with any leads, but they didn't find any more signs of the werewolf. Derek worked hard at the garage, working out his frustration on engines and radiators and getting the satisfaction of purring perfection. He read and ran and cooked to keep himself busy the rest of the time, and the days flew by.

Next thing he knew, it was the first day of his senior year, and Laura was offering him the Camaro. 

''I don't need it today.'' She told him, and he vowed to start properly looking into getting his own car. 

So he found himself standing outside Beacon Hills High, staring up at the building, full of something that felt like dread. He looked down at the timetable clutched in his hand. 

''AP English Lit, wonderful.'' He griped, stuffing the paper back into his pocket. He'd done quite well actually, salvaging his grades after the fire enough to put put in AP classes for half of his subjects this year.

He made his way through the doors of the school trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible. Despite his efforts, a few familiar faces still sprung up, and a quiet whisper made its way down the corridor, about who he was, who his family had been. He headed for his designated locker with gritted teeth, emptying his backpack full of books and strictly ignoring the looks he was receiving. 

Just as he was about to slam his locker closed and round on the one particular douche who was whispering loudly a few lockers down, someone called his name.

''Derek?''

He turned to see Stiles waving as he approached, dressed in plaid and a batman t-shirt. Derek swallowed his anger, and tried to smile. 

''Welcome to hell, dude. I'm kidding, but seriously, hi. What's your first class?''

Derek hesitated, glancing around at all the people who were staring at the two of them. Stiles didn't seem to give a shit, so he tried not too either. 

''Uh, AP Lit.'' 

Stiles' eyes lit up and he grinned. ''Me too! I'll go with you, though you probably know where you're going.''

''I- I'm not sure I remember. I hope you don't mind me asking, it's just that, we're in the same year, but I don't remember seeing you before.'' 

Stiles grinned, not batting an eyelash. ''They let me skip a grade, I'm nearly seventeen. C'mon, it's this way.'' 

Derek blinked at him, and then followed.

He first class came and went quickly, mostly because he was spaced out for a large portion of it. He was grateful to have a seat in the back corner, sat next to a kid called Isaac who didn't say a word for the whole period. Stiles sat a few rows in front of Derek, and spent the whole lesson happily blabbing away to the people around him. 

When the class ended, Stiles cornered him in the corridor, asking to compare timetables. 

Derek tugged the paper out of his pocket, very aware of Stiles' hand on his arm. 

''Careful, new kid, wouldn't want to get faggot on you.'' Someone spat over Derek's shoulder.

He span around on the spot to face the guy. ''What did you say?''

The guy, tall and muscular and blond, just smirked. ''You heard me.'' 

''Get fucked.'' Derek hissed back, but the guy's smirk just widened as he raised his hands in mock defeat, stepping away to rejoin the crowd. 

Derek turned back and Stiles had gone bright red and was now staring at his own timetable that was clutched in his shaking hands. 

Derek reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. ''Hey, are you okay? Who was that dick?'' 

Stiles gave a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. ''That, was Jackson. Just,'' He shrugged out of Derek's grip, not meeting his eyes. ''Show me your timetable.'' 

It turned out that they had different classes besides AP Chemistry at the end of the day, but the same lunch. 

Stiles shook his head as the bell rang. ''I'll see you later.'' 

Derek watched after him, not sure what to do. He headed for his Math class, making a mental note to kick that Jackson kid's ass if he spoke to Stiles like that again. It wasn't his place to get involved in Stiles' life, and Laura would be pissed if he got into a fight, but he didn't care. 

When the bell finally rang for lunch, Derek almost fell over with relief. He  _liked_ his classes, but the people were so tiring, he was glad to have a break. He headed for the canteen, his stomach rumbling. He lined up and bought food, though the state of it kind of ruined his appetite. He stood at the front of the room, staring at the full tables in despair. 

''Hey.'' Stiles' voice sounded behind him and he turned to see a slightly watery-eyed Stiles. 

''Hey. Are you going to-'' He gestured at the tables. 

Stiles shook his head. ''That's my best friend, over there.'' He pointed at a table full of guys in varsity jackets with girls surrounding them. The boy Stiles was pointing at was floppy-haired and didn't look like the jock type, but he seemed to be enjoying the girl that was almost in his lap as much as the rest of them. Next to the boy was Jackson, with a pretty Redhead and a few other faces that Derek recognised from his classes.

Derek felt a sudden rush of anger on Stiles' behalf, that, as far as Derek could tell, Stiles' best friend had ditched him to sit with Jackson and the kids who were probably his cronies,

''I've got chips and twizzlers in my bag, wanna go hide on the bleachers?'' Stiles said after a minute. 

Derek took one last look at the shit on his tray before turning and dropping in all in the bin next to him.

''God, yes please.'' 

Stiles smiled, for real this time, and turned towards the door, waiting for Derek to follow.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and feedback are hugely appreciated :)


	3. Rain To The Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek finds out more about Stiles Stilinski.

Derek followed Stiles up onto the bleachers, trying to ignore memories of lacrosse games and lunches out here, before the fire. Stiles led him right up into the top corner, far away from anyone else, and sprawled across the bench in a manner that seemed well-practised.

For a long while they didn't say anything, except Stiles offering snacks to Derek and Derek either accepting or politely declining. Eventually Stiles started talking, and Derek was dragged in completely.

''So, that kid was Scott. Scott McCall, been my best friend, practically my brother, for eight fucking years, through thick and thin and all the bullshit. This summer though, oh no.''

Derek listened as Stiles ranted on, not sure why he was being told but perfectly happy to learn more about Stiles, intoxicating Stiles.

''The new girl moves to town over the summer, somehow gets invited to a pre-school party that Scotty's somehow invited to as well, never mind me. Anyway, he goes to this party, only sparing me a thought the next day to tell me about Allison. Allison this, Allison that. Her hair, her smile. He's obsessed with her, and well she doesn't seem to mind. In the last couple of weeks he's been hanging out with Allison, who's somehow been adopted by Lydia, and by Jackson and all of the fuckers that follow his around like ugly little puppies. Scott and I made a pact that we'd always sit together at lunch because no one else ever wanted to sit with us, but I rock up today and Scott's sat at their table. And I was like, okay fine, sure, I gather up the courage to go over there and talk to Scott because those assholes can't keep my away from my best buddy. So I say to Scott, ''Hey, uh, want to share lunch with me?'' and do you know what he fucking said? He said, 'maybe tomorrow'. I'm so annoyed at him! All because he can't keep his hands off of Allison fucking Argent.''

Derek tenses, his breath catching in his throat and his hands balling into fists to hide his claws. This was it. Stiles had been taunting him in the forest, the Argents were still here, it was going to be like two years ago, all over again.

Stiles stared at him. ''Woah dude, are you okay?''

Derek fought to control his shift, even though he wanted to run away and hide and never come out again. ''Fine. Just, I had a bad run-in with their family a few years back.''

Stiles looked at him for a minute, and then something seemed to click. He raised a hand to his mouth. ''Oh fuck. I just realised- I'm so sorry. Hale, Argent, oh fuck dude.'' He leaned forward and put a hand on Derek's shoulder, which oddly enough helped to calm some of his panic.

''Fuck. I remember, two years ago, my dad came home smelling of smoke and told us that a house had burned down. I saw the name Hale on a file in his office and the whole town talked about it for months. Then when Alli- Scott's girlfriend came to town I looked them up, because I knew I recognised the name. Scott's girlfriend's dad, his sister was imprisoned for Arson, and their father for assisting it, but they were never involved, Chris was the one who helped get them put away. Fuck, fuck dude.''

Derek looked up, briefly meeting Stiles eyes as he struggled to breath.

Stiles lurched forward to awkwardly hug him, the angle twisting his torso uncomfortably.

Derek found him self relaxing, leaning his head into Stiles' neck and breathing in his scent, which was much more obviously earthy at this distance. He couldn't figure out why, but he found his emotions settling as Stiles squeezed him.

Stiles climbed off of him, looking seriously guilty. ''Fuck, I'm so sorry that I brought it up. Lets, lets talk about something else. Hey, I know, you want believe how much of a prick our Chem teacher is. Harris; I'm telling you he's had it out for me from day one.''

Derek let Stiles' rambling soothe his nerves and racing heart. Stiles wasn't involved after all, and he was struck with such a massive relief he almost toppled backwards down the steps.

When Stiles notified him that the bell was about to ring, he stood and followed placidly, his mind wandering to dark places that he couldn't seem to pull himself out of. It wasn't until they were fighting through a bustling coridoor as the bell rang, that he came back to himself.

''Hey, Hale!'' Derek knew that voice, and he knew he was about to get into a fight- A fight he wouldn't lose. ''Stilinski been jerking you off under the bleachers? Don't let him charge you, he does it for fun.''

Derek heard Stiles' heard start pounding besides him, and he leaped forward, slamming Jackson into the lockers behind him with a barely-human snarl. ''Shut the fuck up!''

Jackson's eyes widened slightly, but the crowd was forming a circle around them and Jackson couldn't be seen to stand down.

''Derek?'' Stiles tried to pull him back but he tugged out of his grip, baring his blunt teeth at Jackson.

''Don't worry Hale, the fag's just got his gay little claws into you. Find a good girl and you won't even remember his name.''

The sharp intake of breath from behind him had Derek ready to rip Jackson's throat out with his teeth. He was already unstable and not entirely in control, and he was finding that when it came to Stiles, he wasn't very good at being rational. He drew back slightly, and Jackson smirked like he'd won, but Derek lifted his right arm and faster than anyone could keep track of, he hit Jackson in the face. He was careful not to seriously hurt Jackson, but as he slumped down the lockers, Derek knew the injury would be black and purple and would hurt.

''Say anything like that ever again, and I'll make sure you eat through a straw for the rest of your life.'' He hissed loudly, and Jackson just let himself fall, not bothering to fight back.

''Derek, Derek we've got to go.''

Derek let Stiles grab his arm as he looked around, making eye contact with as many people as possible to warn them off too. He cast one last sneer at Jackson, and dissapeared after Stiles into the crowd. He followed Stiles to their class, guilt slowly seeping in as the swaths of people parted to let them pass.

Their Chemistry class passed without incident, which surprised Derek. He'd expected to be called out to the principles office to face the consequences of giving a kid a black eye, but no one came. The same kid from his Lit class, Isaac, was a seat in front of him, and actually turned to flash Derek a timid thumbs up that seemed to take all the courage he had. Derek couldn't help smiling at the desk, and he payed for it by being called on by the teacher, Harris, who as Stiles had said, was a huge prick.

When the bell rang for the end of the day, a wight slid off of Derek's shoulders. He grabbed his bag and went for the door, pausing slightly to let Stiles catch up with him from the other side of the room.

''C'mon, lets get out of here quick before they come to find us.'' Stiles pushed his shoulder slightly in the direction of the exit.

''I'm not afraid.'' Derek told him, pulling his bag slightly higher on his shoulder.

''I am.'' Stiles didn't look at him. When they split up in the parking lot, Stiles pointed out a beat-up blue Jeep. ''That's me. Follow me.''

Derek watched his back for a moment before climbing into the Camaro, making a full second of eye contact with a bruised Jackson. He followed Stiles' Jeep along the roads, around a few twists and turns before rolling into a quasi-suburb. Derek knew how to get to Stiles' house through the woods, but now he knew how to get to it by the roads. He parked on the street near the driveway that Stiles had pulled into.

When he climbed out of the car, he fell back a step when he saw Stiles stalking towards him, looking furious. His scent was warped with sour anger that seeped from his every pour. Derek guessed he'd been bottling this up all last period, possible even before that.

''What the fuck?'' He snarled at Derek, punching his shoulder but barely making him falter. ''Why did you do that?!''

Derek searched for an answer that might calm him down. ''He shouldn't talk like that, it's disgusting and unfair. You shouldn't have to deal with it''

This didn't calm Stiles. ''I don't need you to be my Knight in fucking Armour! In case you didn't know, I managed perfectly fine for three fucking years before you arrived, and that's not changed! Just fuck off!'' He pushed Derek's chest and Derek let him move him back a few steps.

He stood on the spot, searching Stiles' face to see if he really wanted Derek to leave.

Stiles' face was wrought with anger, but then he seemed to crumple, his angry expression and tense form falling into a more weary picture. He nodded towards the house and stepped towards it, pulling his keys from his pocket.

Derek followed cautiously, not wanting to overstep some boundary he wasn't aware of. Frankly he had no idea how to handle the situation.

Stiles unlocked the door and left it open behind him so Derek followed. He copied Stiles and left his shoes by the door. He looked around curiously, drinking in every detail. The walls of the hall were covered with a mirror and lots of pictures, of Stiles both younger and more recent, the Sheriff, and a beautiful woman that Derek assumed must be Stiles' mom. There were also pictures of Stiles and a smaller version of the boy he'd pointed out at lunch, proving his story that Scott and he had been friends for years.

The hall lead off into a living room, stairs, and a kitchen. Stiles went into the kitchen, dumped his rucksack on the table and then marched into the living room, throwing himself dramatically face-first onto the couch.

Derek hovered in the doorway. The room was very homely, with worn couches and a large TV, more pictures on the walls and books and papers littering the coffee table and a set of shelves in the back corner.

''He's not usually that bad.'' Stiles said eventually, his voice muffled where his face was pressed into the couch cushions.

Derek hovered for another second before moving through the room, side-stepping the coffee table and perching on the edge of the second couch.

''He best friend, Danny Mahealani, is gay, so when he's around Jackson doesn't... He doesn't do that. I think it's just _me,_ not that he's really homophobic. And I heard that he lied about what happened, probably didn't want everyone knowing the newbie clocked him one. I- Fuck. Thank you. For that, you didn't have to, so thanks.''

Derek sat stock still, not sure what to say. ''Uh, sure. Why does he do it?''

Stiles gaze was downcast. ''Easy target I guess. Everyone knows he has trouble with his parents. That's no excuse, I know.''

''Oh'' Derek didn't know what else to say.

Stiles sat up, and cocked his head briefly- oddly similar to a wolf- and then smiled. ''You don't talk much, do you?''

''I guess.''

''Well, Derek Hale, my dad won't be home for a few hours, have you ever played _this_?'' He snatched up a video case from the coffee table and waved it at Derek.

Derek just shook his head, a little bemused.

''Okay then, I'm going to educate you.'' He grinned wickedly, his scent intensifying, just a little. He gestured at the space of the couch next to him and Derek moved into it, leaning forward slightly as Stiles crawled over to the TV behind the coffee table and swapping the discs in the playstation on the cabinet. He grabbed two controllers and handed one off to Derek.

Derek let Stiles coach him through the brightly coloured flashing game that he seemed so passionate about. Derek had used a few friends' game consoles in New York, but he'd never had one and he'd never really clicked with it, but he was perfectly happy to let Stiles show it to him, their arms and shoulders brushing and Stiles occasionally crowing in victory and smelling like happiness. Derek's was incredibly poor at the game and he might have been embarrassed if he didn't enjoy Stiles' happy cries so much, whenever his half of the screen flickered red and his avatar was killed by Stiles'.

Derek barely noticed as hours slipped by and it started to get dark outside. He could take or leave the game, but Stiles had a way of making it the best thing he'd ever done. When his phone started buzzing in his pocket, he felt like the hours had passed in mere minutes.

''Hello?'' He answered Laura's call.

_''Der', where are you? Are you okay?''_

Derek looked over at Stiles, who had paused the game and was glancing at him and pretending not to listen it.

''I'm uh, I'm at the Sheriff's house, not in trouble or anything. I'll be home soon.''

She paused on the other end as if she wanted to say something else, but thankfully she didn't. _''Okay, I'll see you soon.''_

''Bye.'' He tucked his phone back into his pocket and turned his torso to face Stiles. ''That was my sister, I should head home soon.''

Stiles nodded, putting his controller on the coffee table and holding his hand out for Derek's. ''No problem, my dad will be home any minute anyway.''

Derek stood and stretched his arms out, watching Stiles put the controllers back where he'd found them. He picked up his bag from the foot of the other couch and pulled it up onto his shoulder, hearing a car roll up onto the driveway. He followed Stiles to the edge of the hallway as the Sheriff opened the front door in his uniform, gun on his hip and keys hanging from his left index finger.

''Stiles?'' He called, closing the door before noticing the two of them stood at the other end of the hall. ''Hey there, Derek, it's nice to see you again. I hope Stiles hasn't been keeping you hostage.''

'' _Dad!''_ Stiles groaned, huffing when the Sheriff just grinned at him.

''No, Sir.'' Derek told him awkwardly, and the Sheriff clapped their shoulders as they parted to let him past.

''Now son, none of that Sir business, call me John.''

''Uh, okay, John.'' 

''Derek was just leaving, Dad.'' Stiles called to him as he moved into the kitchen, looking down at his feet.

''Sure you won't stay for dinner, kid?'' John called to Derek from deeper inside the house.

''Thank you, but I told my sister I'd be home soon.'' 

''Ah. Another time then?'' 

''I- Yeah, thanks.'' Derek watched Stiles who'd gone slightly pink and refused to look at him. 

When Stiles didn't look at him or say anything else, Derek headed for the end of the hall and picked up his shoes, lacing them up and then stepping aside to let Stiles open the front door.

''I'll see you at school tomorrow?'' He cast over his shoulder as he descended the porch steps.

''Yeah. See you.'' Stiles replied quietly. ''You need a ride home?'' 

''No, it's okay,'' Derek told him as he hit the driveway, ''It's only a ten minute walk. I don't mind.'' 

''Bye.'' Stiles muttered, watching as Derek strode up to the street and turned to raise a hand in farewell. 

Derek walked away, sparing a moment to glance over his shoulder, watching as Stiles closed the front door, shutting himself into the house. He turned towards the forest, slipping through the gap between two houses and setting off at a fast pace through the trees, heading towards home. 

It was completely dark by the time he ascended his own porch steps, wrangling his keys out of the front pocket of his rucksack and opening the front door, grateful for the warm air washing against his cool skin. He closed the door behind him as Laura shouted a greeting from in the house. 

He hesitated for a second, before he ambled through into the kitchen where Laura was sat at the table, pouring over a heavy tome and scribbling on an A4 notebook in black Biro. 

''Hey kid.'' She looked up from her book, tucking the pen up behind her ear.

''Hi, what're you working on?'' He tilted his head to get a look at the square foreign script. ''Latin?''

''No, Sanskrit. It's a nightmare, I only know, like, seventy percent of these words.'' 

He stood to look over her shoulder at the huge archaic book. ''Wow, looks rough.'' 

''Yep. It's part of a set of these odd sacred texts, I know I'm missing some of the details. This bit,'' She tapped the delicate page gently with two fingers, ''looks like some kind of creationism story. I  _hate_ Sanskrit. Latin is easy, Ancient Greek is a piece of cake, but this bullshit? Fuckin' nightmare.'' 

She sighed and closed the book, using her notes as a bookmark. ''So, how was your first day of school?''

He moved back around the table and pulled himself into one of the chairs, slinging his rucksack across the back. ''It was- It was fine. Pretty much what I expected. My classes were interesting, my Chem teacher was a prat, the usual. Stiles is in a few of my classes, and we had lunch together. He invited me over to his house to play some video game afterwards.''

She raised her eyebrows at him. '' _Video games?_ You don't like video games Der', is that code for something? Do we need to have the _talk?_ '' She smirked and he couldn't help rolling his eyes.

''No, it's not  _code_ for anything. It really was a video game... I think he needed not to be alone.'' 

Laura'd always been the best at reading him, or maybe she could just smell his unease. ''Derek? What happened?''

He sighed, picking his nails uneasily as he considered his answer. ''I think he's getting bullied. It looked like his friend ditched him to hang out with the dicks harassing him.'' He clenched his fist slightly as he though of Jackson again, and she watched him do it.

''Der', what  _happened?''_

He sighed, looking up at her. ''I hit the guy giving him shit. He- He deserved it, he  _really_ did- The things he said.'' He gritted his teeth. ''Apparently he lied about it, didn't want his reputation damaged or something.'' He reached up to rub his face, wondering if Laura was getting tired of his fuck ups.

''Shit.'' After a long minute, she rested her head in her hands. ''This prick, he deserved it, right?'' She looked back up at him, almost imploringly.  

He raised his eyebrows. ''I, uh, yeah. Yeah, yeah he did. Definitely.''

''In that case,'' She pushed the book away from her and stood, pushing her chair under the table and going to pick up her phone from the nearest counter, ''I'm ordering pizza, do you want the usual?''

He stared at her for a second, before nodding. ''Yeah, mushrooms, peppers, chicken, please.'' He sat as she ordered the pizzas, trying to figure out what he did to deserve Laura. When she finished the call, he decided, for once, to ask.

''Laur','' He swallowed, building courage as she looked over at him. ''You keep forgiving me. Why? Is it because I'm all you have left?''

He took a deep breath as he met her gaze and saw that her eyes were wet, then realised his were the same. 

She marched over to him, grabbing his hands and forcing him to maintain eye contact. 

''Der', I want you to listen to me,  _closely._ Derek, yes, you've made mistakes, but so have I. So has everyone. I  _love_ you Der', more than anything. And yeah, you're all I have left. But that's okay, we'll be okay. I don't forgive you because of some misguided sense of obligation, I forgive you because I love you and there's nothing really to forgive. Coincidences aren't your fault, and maybe punching a kid wasn't the best idea but you did it to protect your friend. You have a good heart and I  _forgive_ _you.''_

He just stared at her, wiping his wet face. He could hear the unsaid in her words, and though his mind went to Kate, he still felt a weight off of his shoulders. 

When they finished their food, Derek excused himself to go for a run, promising to Laura to be careful. Of course he did the opposite.

Derek found himself loitering on four legs near Stiles' house again maybe half an hour later, wondering what exactly that made it impossible for Derek to stay away from this boy. The sweet scent was particularly delicious tonight and Derek found himself drawn right to it. 

After about ten minutes of lurking, he heard the latch of the backdoor and shrunk back slightly into the shrubbery.

Stiles stepped out, the scent intensifying as he closed the door behind him, sitting on the porch steps with his longs limbs sprawled across the dark wood, eyes scanning the treeline.

Although Derek was sure he was hidden in the shadows, Stiles' gaze locked onto his position. Stiles sat up a little and leaned forward. 

''Wolf?''

Derek tried to turn and run before he made anymore mistakes, he _really_ did, bit every cell in his body was  _demanding_ that he go to Stiles. 

In the end he couldn't help himself, so he cautiously padded out of the trees and onto the Stilinski's lawn over the broken fence.

Stiles' eyes widened as he shifted back slightly- Derek noted that he had  _some_ sense of self-preservation. 

''Wolfie? Are you tame?'' Stiles held a hand out as Derek got closer, and Derek couldn't help huffing out a laugh. He put a paw on the bottom step and reached over to bump his wet nose against Stiles' palm. 

Stiles grinned. ''I'm pretty sure a regular wolf would've eaten me by now, so what does that make you?'' 

When Derek allowed it, Stiles scratched behind his ear, making his tongue loll out of his mouth and pulling a laugh from Stiles. ''Did you escape from a private zoo? Or maybe you're part dog?'' He slid his finger's down the back of Derek's neck, making him shudder. ''But no collar.''

At that, Derek pulled away from Stiles' touch, slightly afraid of the temptation to fall into Stiles' touch and never let him let go. He sat on the porch next to Stiles, sliding onto his belly but keeping his head high and an ear and eye on the woods. 

''It can't be fun spending all your time out there.'' Stiles noted absently, tapping his fingers on his knees and watching the trees. 

''Stiles? You okay?'' The Sheriff shouted from inside the house and Stiles climbed to his feet, looking at Derek.

''I gotta go. I hope I'll see you again.'' With that he dissapeared inside the house. 

Derek stayed on the spot for a second, before standing up and vanishing into the trees. 

He took his time returning home, in no real rush. Halfway home though, a rustling in the trees spooked him and sent his thundering the rest of the way as fast as he could. He slowed down near the house, not wanting Laura to worry, and approached the backdoor when he was sure his heart rate and breathing had returned to normal. The backdoor was still open so he slunk back inside, kicking the door closed behind him and padding through the darkness to his room, Laura's steady breathing telling him she'd already fallen asleep.

He jumped onto his made bed and curled up there, not bothering to shift back. For once he didn't close the curtains, didn't have the thumbs to, and let the moonlight rest on his fur, lulling him into an uneasy, restless sleep.

 

\----

 

''Get up! You'll be late!'' 

Derek woke with a start to Laura's screeching. He'd shifted back sometime during the night and was completely naked, but luckily Laura stuck to hammering on the door. He groaned so she would know he was awake and slowly pulled himself into a sitting position, head aching a little.

He grimaced when he realised his skin was painted with a light coat of mud, and dragging himself in the direction of the shower. He showered as quickly as his exhausted limbs would allow and dressed painfully slowly, not finding the motivation to do anything quickly. He plodded downstairs and collapsed in a chair in the kitchen, seeing he still had five minutes before he had to leave. 

Laura, who was drinking her third cup of coffee already, frowned at him. ''You okay?'' 

Derek grunted, too tired to answer, his brain moving sluggishly. 

''Drink this.'' She placed her coffee in front of him and he picked it up after a second of blinking at it. The warm liquid made him feel a little more alert, but he still felt like he hadn't slept in a week- And he knew exactly what that actually felt like. 

''I'll drive you. Don't want you falling asleep at the wheel- Unless you'd rather ditch?'' Her mouth twisted down worriedly as she watched him drag himself out of his seat. 

''S'okay. S'only the second day. Can't start ditching already.'' It took all of his energy to form those words and he hauled his backpack onto his shoulder, trudging towards the front door. 

Laura just shook her head and followed.

It took most of the day for him to feel properly awake, and even then his mind kept drifting sleepily. 

''Dude! Derek!'' 

He looked up when he realised Stiles was trying to get his attention. They were sat on the bleachers again, neither of them having even bothered going to the canteen, just going straight up to their newfound hiding spot. 

''Sorry, what?'' He blinked at Stiles, trying to clear his head. 

Stiles frowned at him in a very Laura-like expression. ''Are you okay? You've been quiet all morning.''

Derek tried to figure out his response, but his brain wasn't particularly helpful. ''I don't know. I guess I'm just tired, I didn't sleep well last night.''

Stiles nodded in acknowledgement but something in his expression showed he didn't entirely believe Derek. Thankfully he didn't try to press the subject, and happily filled Derek's gap in the conversation when he didn't say anything else. 

When the bell rang they realised they were late for their next class and they hurried down the steps and across the grass. They streaked through the empty halls towards their shared Lit class, when they passed the doors to the Gym and Stiles stopped dead. 

''What's-'' Derek didn't get to ask because Stiles had ripped the door open and lurched into the empty room.

Derek followed, immediately spotting what had caught Stiles' attention. A ceiling-high climbing wall had been set up in the middle of the room and there was a blonde girl currently climbing it, without any equipment or safety net of any kind. 

Half a second later Derek remembered that Humans weren't built to take falls from those kind of heights, and he hurried forwards after Stiles. 

The girl had stopped near the top of the wall, and Derek's nose wrinkled as the sharp scent of urine hit him as the girl started shaking, high in the air. 

''Fuck!'' Stiles shouted, realising what was happening before Derek did. ''She's having a seizure.'' 

Derek's eyes widened just as the girl lost her grip on the wall, and started to plummet.

Derek was barely able to throw his body in the way as the girl hurtled to the floor. He threw his arms out and grunted as the girl's dead weight hit him, the impact sending him to his knees- but he'd caught her. He thought he saw a flash of awe in Stiles' expression before the girl started seriously convulsing in Derek's arms and he lowered her to the floor.

Stiles, he somehow knew what to do, had maybe dealt with this before, and he took Derek's place, rolling the girl onto her side and holding her there as she thrashed.

Derek hovered, feeling useless and utterly angry that anyone should have to suffer like that.

When the girl eventually stopped seizing, Stiles looked up at Derek.

''Can you lift her?'' He looked up at him with large, puppy-dog eyes, as if he could say no.

''What's her name?'' Derek asked quietly as he lifted her into his arms, careful not to show the ease with which he was able to do so.

''Erica Reyes.'' Stiles supplied, standing at his shoulder as he feigned rearranging her in his arms.  

''Erica.'' Derek murmured as Stiles hurried forward to open the door for them. 

When they arrived at the nurses office, Stiles knocked on the door and the nurse opened it, staring down at Erica.

''Goodness, she had another seizure?'' She beckoned them into the room and Derek carefully set Erica down on the cot in the corner.

''Yeah, she was in the gym. Luckily Derek and I found her just as it was starting.'' The familiarity in Stiles' tone confirmed Derek's suspicion that he'd helped Erica before, and he hated himself for the vague flush of jealousy that he buried immediately. What was  _wrong_ with him? 

''You're new?'' The nurse turned her attention to Derek curiously.

''Uh, yeah.'' He didn't know what else to say so he just stood there dumbly. 

The nurse nodded, smiling. ''Well, thank you. Most of the idiots around here wouldn't have done what you did, so thank you.'' 

Derek frowned and went a little pink. ''It wasn't a big deal.'' 

The nurse patted his cheek before turning to Erica. ''My dear, every good dead is a big deal.'' 

He and Stiles left the nurse a few minutes later when she confirmed that Erica's mom would be able to come and get her. She also promised to inform the school of what had happened so that the two of them could go straight home instead of returning to their class, which only had half an hour left anyway. Derek didn't want to draw attention to it, but he wasn't really enjoying having someone else's pee on him, and the nurse, who obviously liked Stiles, said that if Derek got to go home, Stiles should too. 

''You need a ride home?'' Stiles asked as they got to the parking lot. 

Derek realised that in his stupor, Laura had dropped him off and taken the Camaro. He nodded.

''Thank you.'' Stiles said when they were almost at Derek's house. ''Most people  _wouldn't_ have helped. Plenty of them have taken videos before, tried to put shit in her mouth.'' 

Derek smelled Stiles' anger flare up on Erica's behalf. 

''It's not fair.'' Stiles huffed, gritting his teeth. 

As he dropped Derek at the start of the path leading to his house, all Derek could think about, was that  _it really wasn't fair._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feedback and comments are hugely appreciated :-)


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